Parents’ perceptions of early childhood music participation

Abstract

Abstract To gain further insight into the beliefs and perceptions of parents to inform instruction in early childhood (EC) music settings, the purpose of this multiple case study was to determine what goals motivate parents to enrol themselves and their children in EC music classes and what they perceive to be the benefits of that participation. This study was guided by the following questions: what goals, if any, did parents have for themselves or their child while participating in an EC music class?; what do parents perceive as the benefits of EC music participation for themselves or their child? Participants were parents or caregivers of children between the ages of 1 month and 3 years who attended one of two EC music classes at a community music school affiliated with a large, research university in the Midwestern United States. A desire to engage in an activity that aligned with participants’ personal music experiences and knowledge, wanting to lay an early musical foundation for children and opportunities for socialization and connection with community were the primary goals discussed by participants that motivated them to enrol in music classes. Participants discussed several benefits of attending music classes including enjoyment, parent and child learning and establishing connections within and between different families in the class. Implications for community music educators and facilitators and researchers are discussed.

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